Drive assist apparatus and drive assist method

Abstract

A drive assist apparatus, including: a CPU and a memory coupled to the CPU, the CPU and the memory being configured to receive a drive assist intervention level instructed by a driver, the CPU and the memory being configured to acquire a biometric data of the driver upon receiving of the intervention level, the CPU and the memory being configured to determine the drive assist intervention level to create a drive plan based on the received intervention level and the acquired biometric data, the CPU and the memory being configured to inform the drive plan to the driver, the CPU and the memory being configured to perform drive assist based on the drive plan informed to the driver.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drive assist apparatus, comprising:
 a CPU and a memory coupled to the CPU,   the CPU and the memory being configured to receive a drive assist intervention level instructed by a driver,   the CPU and the memory being configured to acquire a biometric data of the driver upon receiving of the intervention level,   the CPU and the memory being configured to determine the drive assist intervention level to create a drive plan based on the received intervention level and the acquired biometric data,   the CPU and the memory being configured to inform the drive plan to the driver,   the CPU and the memory being configured to perform drive assist based on the drive plan informed to the driver.   
     
     
         2 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the memory is further configured to store a previous biometric data, and   the CPU and the memory are configured to create the drive plan further based on the previous biometric data.   
     
     
         3 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a passenger detection unit configured to detect presence or absence of a fellow passenger, wherein   the memory is further configured to store the biometric data acquired when absence of the fellow passenger is detected by the passenger detection unit.   
     
     
         4 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the CPU and the memory are configured to determine whether driver health condition is normal or abnormal by comparing the previous biometric data stored in the memory and the biometric data.   
     
     
         5 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the intervention level is selected from among a plurality of levels set beforehand, and   the CPU and the memory are configured to create the drive plan of an intervention level higher than the received intervention level when the driver health condition is determined to be abnormal and the intervention level of a lower level is selected from among the plurality of levels.   
     
     
         6 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the CPU and the memory are configured to perform lane-keeping drive assist.   
     
     
         7 . A drive assist method, comprising:
 receiving a drive assist intervention level instructed by a driver;   acquiring a biometric data of the driver upon receiving of the intervention level;   determining the drive assist intervention level to create a drive plan based on the received intervention level and the acquired biometric data;   informing the drive plan to the driver; and   performing drive assist based on the drive plan informed to the driver.   
     
     
         8 . A drive assist apparatus, comprising:
 CPU and a memory coupled to the CPU, wherein   the CPU and the memory have:   a receiving unit configured to receive a drive assist intervention level instructed by a driver;   a biometric data acquisition unit configured to acquire a biometric data of the driver upon receiving of the intervention level by the receiving unit;   a plan creating unit configured to determine the drive assist intervention level to create a drive plan based on the intervention level received by the receiving unit and the biometric data acquired by the biometric data acquisition unit;   an informing unit configured to inform the drive plan created by the plan creating unit to the driver; and   a drive assist unit configured to perform drive assist based on the drive plan informed to the driver by the informing unit.   
     
     
         9 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the memory further configured to store a previous biometric data acquired by the biometric data acquisition unit, and   the plan creating unit configured to create the drive plan further based on the previous biometric data stored in the memory.   
     
     
         10 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a passenger detection unit configured to detect presence or absence of a fellow passenger, wherein   the memory is further configured to store the biometric data acquired by the biometric data acquisition unit when absence of the fellow passenger is detected by the passenger detection unit.   
     
     
         11 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the plan creating unit is further configured to determine whether driver health condition is normal or abnormal by comparing the previous biometric data stored in the memory and the biometric data acquired by the biometric data acquisition unit.   
     
     
         12 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the intervention level is selected from among a plurality of levels set beforehand, and   the plan creating unit is further configured to create the drive plan of an intervention level higher than the intervention level received by the receiving unit when the driver health condition is determined to be abnormal and the intervention level received by the receiving unit is of a lower level selected from among the plurality of levels.   
     
     
         13 . The drive assist apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the drive assist unit is further configured to perform lane-keeping drive assist.